why was nat lofthouse called the lion of vienna why was nat lofthouse called the lion of vienna

Born and bred in Bolton, Lofthouse earned his. please support us. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Nat Lofthouse. Too young for military service, Nat was determined to work hard on and off the field. Playing at number 9 for Castle Hill, a position once occupied by Tommy Lawton at that point an England star young Nat firmly establishing himself as a school hero and, unbeknownst to him, earned a reputation among local scouts as the boy with such incredible heading ability that it was like he could kick with his head. There is no doubt he gave everything to his club, and to the game. Having failed to find the net in his past two internationals, a run which had scuppered more than a few promising youngsters England careers, Boltons star was aware of a concerted campaign in the press to have him replaced by Newcastles brilliant Jackie Milburn. The project, funded by the people of Bolton and fans of the club, is due to be completed on August 27, 2013, or what would have been Lofthouse's 88th birthday. Named the Lion of Vienna after scoring three goals for England v Austria Nat was a Legend for Bolton Wanderers.and England. On 24 January 2011 in Bolton Wanderers first home game since his death against Chelsea, a pre-match period of a minute's silence, thunderous applause, black-and-white footage of Lofthouse in action and the laying of floral tributes by Kevin Davies and John Terry took place before the start of the match. Nat Lofthouses statue now stands proudly outside the University of Bolton Stadium. Football was also a significant sport for the two nations. Former Bolton Wanderers and England striker Nat Lofthouse, one of the greats of a golden post-war generation, died in his sleep at the age of 85, the club announced on Sunday. Lofthouse had made his Wanderers debut back in 1941 aged 15, scoring. It was a close match, and neither side was shy about using force, a game far away from today's well-regulated affairs. After a brief stint as the caretaker, Nat Lofthouse was named the full-time manager of Bolton Wanderers and stayed in the post until 1970. Friendly internationals then held an importance that has now all but vanished, and Lofthouse's winning goal, in a 3-2 victory against a powerful team, was lauded to the . Bolton Wanderers and England legend Nat Lofthouse ( 'The Lion of Vienna' ) dies aged 85Nat Lofthouse epitomised the kind of English centre forward that has . That is, a sane person that wasn't scared of facing the Lion of Vienna on the pitch. For as much as Bolton Wanderers shaped him, his career and his life, he too left an indelible mark on the club, defining the teams most iconic era and playing a pivotal role in saving the club during its most ignominious age. All in all, he tallied up 255 goals in 452 league games, and 30 goals in 51 cup matches. Both men were among the inaugural inductees to the Hall Of Fame. Due to hostilities, Lofthouse didnt make his league debut for Wanderers until the 1946-47 season. Why was Nat Lofthouse called Lion of Vienna? It was originally scheduled to take place three days later on his birthday but the date was moved forward to coincide with Bolton's home fixture against Queens Park Rangers. The crowd in the stands cheered Lofthouse on.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'historyofsoccer_info-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_14',187,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofsoccer_info-large-mobile-banner-2-0'); As Lofthouse recalls, I heard the hounds running after me. Musil began running but stopped before he reached me. After receiving a congratulatory telegram from hero Lawton he had a debut to remember grabbing both goals in a 2-2 draw, beating former ballet dancer Vladimir Beara with a close-range shot from a cross from Les Medley and Johnny Hancocks then provided a pinpoint centre which Nat converted with a diving header. In 1956, he finished as the First Divisions top scorer with 33 goals. The tour began with a 1-1 draw between England and Italy in Florence. . Six of their colleagues had died in the crash, including United's only goal scorer from that final, Tommy Taylor. He said: I would have an hour or two off to receive coaching from George and firmly believe that these private coaching sessions played a big part in my advancement. On the morning of Saturday 6 December 1947 he married Alma Foster and in the afternoon scored twice as Wanderers beat Wolves 3-2. One false start for his school team aside he was drafted in as a last-minute replacement in goal and conceded seven he began exhibiting a prodigious knack for goalscoring early on. Sources: Daily Express, Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, The Times, Daily Mirror, The Guardian, Daily Herald; Nat Lofthouse, Goals Galore, Nat Lofthouse. [17] It was unveiled on 24 August 2013, three days before what would have been Lofthouse's 88th birthday. [5], On 7 April 1993, he appeared as a special guest on the TV guest show This Is Your Life, in which the on-screen guests included Tom Finney and Harry Gregg, while others including Bobby Charlton, Gary Lineker and Ian Rush appeared on screen to pay tribute to Lofthouse as they were unable to appear alongside Lofthouse due to other commitments. [3] Lofthouse went into a challenge with the United keeper Harry Gregg and barged him into the net to score. Any hopes of the Three Lions traditional end-of-season tour being a relatively sedate one had been dashed in their opening game, a frustrating 1-1 draw in Florence in which Englands Italian opponents had resorted to the dark arts on more than one occasion. In a rare show of off-field bullishness, Lofthouse later remembered that he made it his sole purpose to make one particular writer eat his words even if he choked. In 1953, it all came together. Once again, Nat Lofthouse made his intent known early on, scoring his first goal 3 minutes in, bounding onto the ball inside the 6-yard box and poking it in. Despite the double strike many, including leading football writer John Thompson remained unconvinced. On 25 May 1952, Lofthouse earned the title 'Lion of Vienna' after scoring his second goal in England's 32 victory over Austria. Please tick if you would like to receive information in this way. Nat Lofthouse captained Bolton against Manchester United in the 1958 FA Cup Final. We were introduced and I stood there tongue-tied, Nat would later recall. He was famous for entertaining the clientele with some of the many stories about his time as a professional footballer. On that day, Lofthouse was wearing a brand new pair of shoes, a major luxury at the time. . The only identity was Nat Lofthouse. A few years later, on Sept. 4, 1939, the day after World War II broke out in Europe, as nearly all of the Bolton first team went off to war, Lofthouse went to Burnden Park, put pen to paper and signed for Bolton Wanderers as a youth player. Lofthouse was consistently self-deprecating about his abilities his favourite maxim, borrowed from one of his coaches at Bolton, was that all he could do was run, shoot, and head but it slowly became apparent that by doing all three with a sort of relentless, irresistible energy, he needed little else. Lofthouse would go on to play 33 games for England, but his debut on 22 November 1950 made him 25 when he finally broke into the team. My body became firmer and harder, I learned to take hard knocks without feeling them. Lofthouse earned full international recognition when he was called up to play for his country against Yugoslavia at Highbury in November 1950. He was a pivotal figure in one of the true golden ages of the beautiful game, ending his career as the leading goal scorer for both his club and his country, with a reputation as one of the game's true greats. That's the two words that go together and the thing about Nat was, as well, that you don't need to put his surname there, do you? It made me fitter than ever I had been before. Lofthouse had thunderous, crashing shots, coupled with a burning desire to get in the right place to unleash them. Additionally, the development of the Cold War affected the trip to Austria. Contents show The 1952 tour England toured Europe briefly in summer 1952 and played matches against politically sensitive opponents Italy and Austria. But he came back before the final whistle as Nat's valiant display earned him the nickname, 'Lion of Vienna'. Alchetron Thread starter leefer; Start date 16 January 2011; leefer Loyal Member. It was there that the conversation that would change his life forever took place. His very style of football embodied Bolton, an appreciation for power alongside skill which is still part of the club today. A forward for Bolton Wanderers for the entirety of his career, Nat Lofthouse was an English professional footballer. By Paul Ride. How many goals in total did Lofthouse score in the 33 matches he played for England? In the Daily Herald, Clifford Webb wrote; Every man-jack did a heros job, but the player who provided the really tremendous thrill for the frantically cheering English colony was Nat Lofthouse. Lofthouse was a constant at the head of the Wanderers goalscoring charts and his exploits, which included four goals in a win for an FA XI over the Army were finally rewarded by the international selectors in 1950 when, after scoring the only goal in the B teams win over the Netherlands at St James Park he went on the FA tour of Canada and North America. Scot Foweraker, who started at the club as a gateman when the ground opened in 1895, had taken over as manager in 1919 and would go on to serve Wanderers for an outstanding 49 years, 25 as boss. On 1 January 1994, he was appointed an OBE and on 18 January 1997, Bolton decided to name their East Stand at their new Reebok Stadium after him. He won that. Posts 7,107 Likes 2 Location swindon wilts. This evening, the Prater Stadium in the Soviet sector was crowded by cheering, khaki-clad British soldiers waving Union Jacks. For a time it appeared that he might not re-sign with the club for the 1957-58 season but he eventually relented and stayed at Burnden Park. The two co-founded the Lion of Vienna Suite community and write about Bolton Wanderers because someone has to. In 1953, it all came together. Instead of scarring him, the experience seemed to instill a sense of purpose when it came to scoring goals which was reflected throughout his career. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. The award was given in recognition of his great skill with the ball at a time when English football was not known for its aesthetic beauty. After that 1958 final, Bolton had started slipping and were ultimately relegated to the old Second Division in 1964. For England, the Austria game provided two firsts. Thousands of people gather for the funeral of former Bolton Wanderers and England football legend Nat Lofthouse. His signing may well have been precipitated by Boltons stately long-time manager, Charles Foweraker, anticipating losing many of his players to the war effort. He was born on March 24, 1919, in Blyth, Northumberland, England. The phrase Lion of Vienna will be forever associated with Lofthouse. But work down the mine toughened him physically and the caustic humour of his fellow miners made sure he never became arrogant about his success on the field.". It was one of the first instances of a personal worrisome streak that was completely at odds with his public persona. On top of running the Castle Pub after his retirement, Lofthouse maintained a number of different positions with Bolton Wanderers. Nat Lofthouse was a 'Bevin Boy', one of thousands of young men conscripted to work in Britain's mines by Ernest Bevin, the coalition government's Minister of Labour and National Service during. That game launched one of the best periods of his career, which previously Lofthouse had been decidedly unsatisfied with, receiving little praise for his international efforts, and little respect from anyone barring Bolton fans. Ridding had been prominent in Nat Lofthouse's successful rise and had led the Trotters to the 1953 and 1958 FA Cup finals, famously winning the second one. Merrick plucked a corner cross from the air, who threw a long, swerving ball down the middle of the field. Nat Lofthouse - Wikipedia The ball came in and fell to Tom Finney, Lofthouses long-time England cohort and close personal friend, who expertly set his centre-forward away. He was probably the last of the old fashioned centre forwards, leading the line with toughness, taking plenty of knocks and giving them out too. Several players in the match played below their level, with Nat Lofthouse one of those.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'historyofsoccer_info-banner-1','ezslot_10',184,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofsoccer_info-banner-1-0'); In the Daily Telegraph, Frank Coles wrote, One of the question marks is against Lofthouse. [3] There was a national wave of sympathy for United, who three months earlier had suffered grievously in the Munich air disaster. Speaking During his "Nat Lofthouse: This Is Your Life" show, Lofthouse had said of his time as manager: "I think the worst thing Bolton Wanderers' directors ever did was ask me to be manager. Known as the Lion of Vienna, he scored 255 goals for . Disappointing loss aside, Lofthouse scored the first goal of the match just 75 seconds in, meaning he scored in every round of the competition that season. In the spring, he was awarded the Football Writers Association (FWA) Footballer of the Year title, a clear indication that he had achieved the status of a model professional. In the 11th minute, Melchior hit Eckersley with a shot that struck his arm. A typical Saturday for Lofthouse involved getting up at 3.30am, catching the 4.30am tram to work, and working down the pit for 8 hours before the team bus took him to the match. And, by today's standards, Nat Lofthouse would make his modern day equivalents look like little kittens. Nat was always a big boy and because of that, often found himself in goal, acting as the last line of defense for whatever ragtag side he found himself playing on. This was touched on to Lofthouse on the halfway line by Finney. On the pitch his place in the national side was gone, replaced as spearhead by Manchester Uniteds Taylor. In 1952-53, he was named FWA Footballer of the Year. Nostalgia Quiz: The Lion of Vienna and the rest of the Bolton Wanderers Who Was Known as the "Lion of Vienna"? - Sportsmanist Known as the 'Lion of Vienna,' Nat Lofthouse was the epitome of the down-to-earth football star of the 1940s and 1950s. In the swing of things and in its heyday, the stadium could hold up to 70,000 people (albeit in close quarters) so one boy without a ticket would not be easily noticed. ". May 1958. With him passed away a piece of Bolton Wanderers Football Club that will never return. After gaining eight corners to Englands none, the Austrians dominated for most of the game. It was then more than five years until he made his league debut for the club, but he eventually played against Chelsea on 31 August 1946, when he scored twice in a 43 defeat. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Sign up to our fortnightly newsletter below. In September 1952, Nat Lofthouse scored six goals in an interleague game against the Irish League. The 285 goals he scored between 1946 and 1961 still make him Boltons top goalscorer. In April 1998, train operator Virgin CrossCountry named locomotive 47807 Lion of Vienna in Lofthouse's honour at Bolton station. Lion Of Vienna Suite, a Bolton Wanderers community. With the extensive scouting networks and multi-tiered academies of nowadays simply not existing in the 1930s, Lofthouse was staring into the footballing abyss as he left school at 14. There was a light breeze and intermittent rain during the game. I could only nod like a dim-wit. On this occasion, he relieved himself of day-to-day duties at the club but remained on board as an ambassador for the Trotters, attending matches and club events for years to come. Despite this disappointment the player ended the season on a high when he was named Footballer of the Year. By 1942, all males in the United Kingdom aged 18-51 (with a few exceptions) were eligible to be conscripted by the government into wartime service. It was important not to strike the ball too soon. I wasn't cut out to be a manager.". Lofthouse opened the scoring but Austria came back, and with the game deadlocked at 2-2, began to exert significant pressure. Read |Dixie Dean: footballs first great number nine. The stands were filled with British troops, who had remained stationed throughout Austria in the aftermath of the war. Nonetheless Lawtons legend was cemented locally and Nat became a huge fan, often travelling to Goodison Park to watch him play for Everton. There was then a Cup Winners Cup played between the winners of the North and South tournaments. 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